Dried egg products recalled due to possible Salmonella contamination

Dried egg products recalled due to possible Salmonella contamination

WASHINGTON — Nutriom LLC, a Lacey, Wash., establishment, is recalling an additional 82,884 pounds of processed egg products that may be contaminated with Salmonella, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced today.

The majority of the product included in this expansion was originally identified in the public health alert issued by the agency on March 26, 2014.

On March 26, 2014, FSIS and the company did not reach agreement pertaining to products subject to expansion of the initial recall. FSIS acted within the scope of its authority and responsibility and issued a public health alert. To read the public health alert, click here.

As part of the investigation in the detention and seizure of product identified in the public health alert, FSIS identified and verified USDA Agricultural Marketing Service Salmonella sample results that validated the public health safety of four of the lots included in the public health alert. As such, FSIS has determined these products do not need to be removed from commerce. With public health as the focus, Nutriom LLC has agreed to voluntarily recall the remaining product identified in the March 26 public health alert.

FSIS and the company have received no reports of illnesses due to consumption of these products.

The dried egg products in the recall expansion were produced from Jan. 2013 through Jan. 2014, and bear the establishment number “INSPECTED EGG PRODUCTS PLANT 21493G” inside the USDA Mark of Inspection. These products were shipped nationwide and to U.S. military installations in the United States and abroad, and to Mexico.

Consumption of food contaminated with Salmonella can cause salmonellosis, one of the most common bacterial foodborne illnesses. The most common symptoms of salmonellosis are diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating the contaminated product. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days. Most people recover without treatment. In some persons, however, the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. Older adults, infants and persons with weakened immune systems are more likely to develop a severe illness. Individuals concerned about an illness should contact their health care provider.

FSIS inspects egg products under the Egg Products Inspection Act. FDA typically takes jurisdiction of egg products after they leave the egg facility if they are incorporated into FDA-regulated products. In this case, USDA is leading the recall rather than FDA, because the products are in consumer packages with an identifiable USDA Mark of Inspection, and FSIS had jurisdiction over the product when the contamination occurred. FSIS and FDA are continuing to work together to ensure food safety, and the management of this recall is such an example.

FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers. When available, the retail distribution list(s) will be posted on the FSIS website at www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls.

FSIS advises all consumers to safely prepare and consume egg products that have been cooked to a temperature of 160° F. The only way to confirm that egg products are cooked to a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria is to use a food thermometer that measures internal temperature, http://1.usa.gov/1cDxcDQ.

Consumers with food safety questions can “Ask Karen,” the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov or via smartphone at m.askkaren.gov. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from l0 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day. The online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed 24 hours a day at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/reportproblem.